A new Big Freeze began to take an icy grip on the country today, threatening further chaos in the run-up to Christmas.

A severe weather warning is in place
covering the whole of the UK, but this time the West rather than the
East is expected to be hardest hit.

Widespread snow showers affected northern Scotland with some disruption on the roads.

The worst-affected areas could see up to eight inches of snow tomorrow, with up to four inches falling on low ground.

Icy conditions: A car lies on its roof on the A96 outside Aberdeen this morning. Snow is set to sweep across Britain on Saturday as the latest blast of winter weather arrives

Arctic conditions: A walker trudges through deep snow during the first round of the Big Freeze in Braemar, Scotland, which could see record low temperatures this winter

Schools in Shetland were closed and some rail services have been suspended in the Highlands and the west of Scotland.

Several schools in Orkney also had to be closed, as were some in Aberdeenshire.

Meanwhile, traders and shoppers must
wait on tenterhooks to discover whether the last weekend before
Christmas will be ruined by heavy snow.

Met Office spokesman Dave Britton said there was ‘still a lot of uncertainty’ about the likely weekend weather.

‘It’s difficult to tell whether it will fall as rain, sleet or snow,’ he said.

If only sleet falls there’s certain
to be a multi-million pound late spending spree, with high streets and
shopping centres across the country full to bursting.

But a heavy snowfall and predictable
transport chaos could be disastrous for businesses and severely affect
the festive plans of thousands of families.

Crisp conditions: A lorry drives through a wintry landscape in Yorkshire. At least the roads remained clear

Messy weather: Sleet, rain and snow are expected to drive down from the north during the course of today (left) and most areas can expect to see a mix of conditions. Heavier snow will then sweep in from the Atlantic this evening

Forecasters were certain that a band
of Arctic weather would begin to sweep down through Scotland and into
England and Wales last night.

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‘It will be rain at first but
there’s the potential for some snow almost anywhere,’ Mr Britton said. ‘The snow won’t last long and it won’t be everywhere.’

Winter walkabout: A postman in Wingham, Kent, battles through the snow to deliver mail

Weather warnings: Britain will freeze over today, with the West getting the worst of it

Arctic air behind it will lead
to icy and potentially treacherous conditions tonight – especially in
the South where the roads will still be wet.

Overnight rural areas of
northern England could see temperatures plunge down to -10c and -4c in
London and many other low-lying areas.

Snow will then sweep in tomorrow
from the Atlantic, with the North-West, Wales and the South-West likely
to be blanketed this time. Forecasters believe high ground in Wales
could see as much as eight inches.

‘The East got it last time and this time the West will get the worst of the snow,’ said Mr Britton.

‘The outlook for the weekend is rather messy. Broadly it will stay cold across many parts of Britain, with outbreaks of snow.’

He said in southern areas there ‘was a chance’ milder air could push back in.

‘No one should be surprised if they see snow,’ he said.

Many parts of the country are likely to stay ‘generally cold’ over the Christmas and New Year period.

Last year’s month-long big freeze
began at almost exactly the same time and critics believe little has
changed in terms of the country’s ability to cope.

However, a spokesman for the
Department of Transport insisted the Government was ‘doing everything
possible to keep Britain moving’.

The country’s stockpile of salt is
being doubled to 500,000 tonnes to cope with the threatened freeze. It
will be distributed ‘to local authorities who need it’.

The return of the cold weather will
add to winter fuel bills which are expected to hit a record high.
Families face paying an average of £630 as power giants cash in on the
big freeze.

The figure is up by £58 on last year
and comes on the back of recent inflation-busting increases in tariffs
by the major energy suppliers.

The bill prediction comes from price
comparison website Energyhelpline.com and takes into account the
combined effect of higher tariffs and the plunging temperatures.

Four of the Big Six providers –
British Gas, ScottishPower, Scottish & Southern Energy and npower –
have so far announced price hikes, with E.ON still to declare its hand.
Only EDF has announced a freeze until March 1.

Last winter, nine elderly people
died every hour from cold-related illnesses against a background of
freezing temperatures and soaring energy bills.

Deaths linked to the cold over the four months of last winter reached 25,400 in England and Wales, plus 2,760 in Scotland.